A Case for the Female Photographer | Jenn Terrell Photography

How often are women taken advantage of by a photographer?

How many times is the abuser a male?

How many times is the abuser a white male?

We have all heard stories of models being taken advantage of by photographers. It is a common theme in films, TV shows and in our communities. If you live in Arkansas, or more specifically Northwest Arkansas, you have probably heard the story of a local white male photographer who is alleged to have hidden cameras in his changing room to video unknowing models. It is rumored that there is an open case against him now.

Were you surprised when this story broke? As horrific as it is, I wasn’t. White men have notoriously harassed, raped and taken advantage of women.

As a white male, he has been given opportunity after opportunity. He has worked with many local big name organizations. I can’t help but think about what would have happened if women or minorities had been hired instead of him. There would be a much lower chance of models being assaulted or harassed statistically.

An overwhelming number of 90 percent of perpetrators of sexual violence against women are men.
93 percent of perpetrators of sexual violence against men are also men.

The race with the highest percentage of sexual assault perpetrators is white with 57%.

And if you are sexually assaulted by a male, the chances of getting justice is slim to none. 995 out 1000 perpetrators of sexual assault don’t see any jail time. 4.6 out of 230 rapists will be incarcerated.

The local white male photographer mentioned above is not an outlier. There is an endless list of male photographers who allegedly used their camera to take advantage of others. Some of the men listed below were actually convicted.

A very easily researched list is below:
Fashion Photographer Terry Richardson
Fashion Photographer and Filmmaker Bruce Weber
Fashion Photographer Marcus Hyde
Fashion Photographer Mario Testino
Fashion Photographer Patrick Demarchelier
Fashion Photographer Timur Emek
Criminal Minds Director of Photography Gregory St. Johns
Carlsbad Photographer Robert Koester
Swim Team Photographer Randolph Haldeman

I could easily make an entire blog post full of names. This was what I found within five minutes of internet searching.

And if you still don’t think men in photography is a huge issue check out this book you can buy for $10 on amazon:
An Introduction to Camera Game: How to Seduce Women Through Photography

On a related note, anytime I see a male with an instagram or website full of thin women in bathing suits or naked I get a cringy feeling. It just doesn’t feel right. If you are a straight white male why is it that you only photograph or highlight what is more than likely your sexual fantasy? It creeps me out.

Men in many cultures have issues with power and women. Sexual assault is a serious problem that has been oppressing and traumatizing people (mostly women) since the dawn of time. The real solution to the problem is a difficult and complex one. It would require changing our culture completely. It would require ending the long living cycle of toxic masculinity. That will take generations of work. The work has already begun with activists fighting for the rights of survivors of sexual assault and the #MeToo movement. But movements take time and in the mean time we should be doing everything we can to protect models and people being photographed.

My short-term suggestion as a very simple solution: hire female photographers.

Photography is a male-dominated industry but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of talented women with cameras ready for work. It means that white men are disproportionally overrepresented in the photography industry. White men are the ones hired for the majority of the jobs. They receive the awards, the ambassadorships, the assignments for publications, etc. And they are far more often perpetrators of sexual harassment and assault. So instead of giving models a list of rules and "safe” photographers to work with, how about a simple rule of thumb: Work with and hire female photographers.